The original
Joker is back, and ready to capitalize on his past triumphs. That would include
beating the newest Robin with a crow bar. Of course, neither Bruce nor Terry is
likely to let that happen. Trouble is, they can’t seem to locate where the
Joker has taken the new Robin.

Bruce is surprisingly
emotional as he recognizes the danger Matt is in, and perhaps now regrets
setting the boy up to be Robin Beyond (as well he should). The days of the kid
sidekicks is over, and nobody should know that better than Batman, who has lost
too many Robins to the never-ending battle for truth, Justice and the American
way.

Jurgens has resurrected
the Joker for one last outing (presumably), and spins a tale well suited for
this latter-day legend of the Dark Knight. Thankfully, it’s a tale with a clear
beginning, middle and end, without some vague conclusion that then dovetails
directly into the next adventure.

As always, the artwork
from Booth and Rapmund is superb, and offers a stylized vision of the future
that matches what we’ve seen already, but offers a different texture, of sorts.
It’s got a little bit of the line work I remember from Jim Lee’s X-Men days, an
era which has thankfully passed. But Booth and Rapmund are able to freshen the
style somewhat, by not over-playing it.